After the Crusader
by XenaPendragon
Summary: What ever happened after Crusader? Gabrielle apologises for leaving her soulmate for Najara. This is the aftermath of the episode, the two discussing Gabrielle's terrible decision! ;) X/G cute fluff basically, I know what you guys want!
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Hello guys! I'm back! Did you miss me? (no, probably no one even realised I was gone...) Oh well, it doesn't matter ;) This is just little one shot I wrote after watching the episode, sorry it's so short! Enjoy!**

As they walked, only the sound of Argo's hooves plodding steadily on the ground could be heard. The silence between the two was the closest to uncomfortable it had ever been.

"Xena, I'm sorry-" Gabrielle began.

Xena dismissed her apology with a wave of her hand.

"Don't be. I encouraged Najara to take you with her." She said, instantly knowing why Gabrielle felt guilty. "I thought you would be happier following a more... peaceful way of life."

Gabrielle's face fell, suddenly sad.

"So did I, for a second. But then I realised I would never be happy without you. After all we had been through together and I was willing to give it all up for _her_?" She questioned. "I can't forgive myself for that, Xena."

"Hey, hey." Xena soothed, stopping in her tracks. She turned to Gabrielle and held her face in her hands. "Gabrielle, I forgive you. You don't need to be sorry. I've got you back now and that's all that matters."

Gabrielle smiled minimally, guilt still bubbling in her stomach.

"I will always love you, you know that right?" She said quietly.

Xena rolled her eyes and smiled, continuing to walk.

"Of _course_ I do, " She said sincerely. "And you know I do too. I won't lie and say I wasn't jealous."

Gabrielle stopped, disbelieving of what Xena had just confessed.

"You were?" She said, mouth gaping.

"Sure, why not? That bitch stole my other half and I wanted it back, that's all." She joked, trying to keep a straight face.

Gabrielle nudged her gently with her elbow and laughed. She looked up at Xena's face, her cut lips smirking, her bruised eyes lit up.

"Hey, how's your face feeling? That looks painful." She said, stroking the back of her hand against Xena's purple-bruised cheek.

Xena flinched mildy, but didn't pull away from Gabrielle's hand.

"It's noth-"

"Here, lets stop at this stream. You need to get those cleaned up."

Xena sighed, but obeyed, and tied Argo's reigns up to nearby tree.

Gabrielle fished a scrap of cloth out from the saddle bag and dunked it in the river.

"Sit." She said, smiling.

Xena did, and allowed Gabrielle to drag the cool water across her pulsing scars. Gabrielle flinched as she did so, seemingly sharing in her pain.

"Xena. All this was my fault. You would never have got hurt if I hadn't left you."

Xena took Gabrielle's hand from her cheek gently.

"Gabrielle. How many times do I have to tell you?" She smiled. "It's _fine. _Besides, it made me realise even more how much you mean to me."

Gabrielle smiled, the lines around her eyes fanning out.

"There. That's better. Now get on with your job." She joked.

Gabrielle cleaned the blood from Xena's nose and lips with the cold cloth. Xena still had some open scars, but it was nothing she hadn't dealt with before.

"How's that?"

"Much better, now can we go?" Xena pestered.

Gabrielle leant forward to kiss her bruised cheek.

"Now we can." She said, getting up to her feet.

Xena did the same and they walked off into the forest.

**Note: If you liked it, feel free to review, I would really appreciate it! And let me know, which would you rather me upload first? (They're both in progress)**

**1. A Xena Au**

**2. Xena's birthday fic**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Hey guys! So this was just going to be a one shot, but I've been asked to carry on so I thought what the hey! (Reference anyone?) sorry I'm always doing really loose references, just ignore me. Enjoy! :)**

Suddenly, a sharp pain jabbed into Xena's temple, and an unwelcome image flashed into her brain.

_"You're the best thing in my life."_

_"I love you Xena."_

"Argh!" Xena cursed quietly, clutching at her head.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, grounding her, as the image faded.

"Xena? Are you okay?" Gabrielle said worriedly, sea green eyes searching into Xena's face.

Xena's vision focused, and her gaze settled on Gabrielle's worried expression.

"Hah. Yeh, I'm fine Gabrielle."

"Hey, are you sure?" She enquired, surprised at Xena's sudden exclamation.

"Yeah, sure. Just a bit of a...headache. Najara got me good, remember?"

Gabrielle was not satisfied, but reluctantly laid off the subject. Xena had been acting strangely lately, and she didn't think it was just the jealousy.

"Gabrielle?" She asked timidly.

"Mm?" She replied, smiling reassuringly.

"Do you think I... hurt you? Do you think I'm bad for you to be around?" She spilled.

Gabrielle's expression suddenly hardened.

"Now what are you talking about? Xena you're the best thing in my life, you-"

The rest of Gabrielle's sentence was cut off in Xena's hearing, as her words echoed around in her head.

_"You're the best thing in my life..."_

"Xena?" Gabrielle interrupted her thoughts.

"Xena, are you sure you're okay? First you've been getting this...headache really often, and now all these weird questions? I know something's up, Xena. You know you can tell me."

"No, I can't- Gabrielle, I'm fine. Really." She said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Then why did you need to ask me that? You know there is no one else in the world I would rather spend my life with. Of course you're not-"

She said, cutting off her own sentence.

"It was Najara wasn't it?! That bloodsucking..."

Xena watched Gabrielle's fury mount as she tried to hold in all her curse words.

"Did she say you're bad for me to be with?!" She seethed. "That bitch-"

"Gabrielle, it's okay. She just gave me something to think about, that's all."

"By the gods I'll -"

"Gabrielle! It's fine. I know my answer now. Just drop it." Xena said softly, in attempt to calm her.

Xena took both of her hands and sought her eye contact. Gabrielle's angry red colour faded down as her eyes locked with Xena's.

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it." She said reluctantly. "But, I think we need to rest somewhere soon. You're tired, and you need time to recover."

The sun was slowly setting as they found a clearing surrounded by trees. Argo was tied up and Gabrielle was sat, angrily hitting flints together, harder than was necessary.

"Here, let me do that." Xena said, sitting down next to her soulmate.

She took the flints from Gabrielle's hot hands and instantly cast a spark on the pile of wood.

Xena nudged Gabrielle playfully.

"What's wrong, hot head?" She joked.

"Xena." Gabrielle replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm just angry at everything - not you, though. Never you!"

Xena smiled at Gabrielle's permanent determination to never offend anyone, well, except Najara.

"What are you angry at then? Still at my 'stoopid' question?" She asked.

"No, well, yes, but I'm mostly angry at myself for even tolerating that daughter of a-"

Xena laughed quietly.

"Calm down, it's alright. It wasn't your fault." She soothed.

"I should have never left you. She filled your head with all those ideas - and none of them are true! She doesn't even know me!" She said, angry tears streaming down her face.

Xena hugged Gabrielle into her.

"It's nothing that wasn't going around in my head anyway. After... Hope... and... all those times you've almost died just because of me? I couldn't _not_ question all that myself."

Gabrielle pulled out of the hug forcefully.

"You think any of that matters? I would _die _for you Xena! Over and over! There's no one else in my life I could ever love more than you."

Xena smiled sadly.

"I know, I know. And right back atcha." She said, pulling her back into her arms, kissing the top of her head.

Gabrielle sniffed, as her heart rate slowed down, and she felt herself calming in Xena's arms. She watched the flames in front of them as they sat, Xena rocking her slightly.

"I love you so much." Gabrielle whispered.

"I love you more." Xena said quietly.

As Xena held Gabrielle in her arms, she couldn't help but feel disturbed once again by the vision. They were going to die soon, together, in the bitter ice and snow. She couldn't stop it, she was going to lose Gabrielle, and she would be lost too.

She hoped she believed in all that reincarnation stuff, and she knew they would be together in another life, but she didn't care. She loved _this_ one, and didn't want to leave it any time soon.


End file.
